Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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September 15, 2008

Gray Monday Mornings and Other People’s Problems

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:24 am

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Another Day, Another Fifty Cents

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In college my roommate and I had a routine for leaving our apartment for class. It was a silly script that we said as we locked up. It started with our version of the saying, “Another day, another dollar.”

The script was,

“Another day, Another fifty cents, maybe a dime after taxes. We’ll miss you, Mom! We’re leaving home for college.” Then we’d walk off together.

It was a reminder that life is all in how you look at it.

That script has stayed with me through inflation and returns to me whenever a plane is delayed or a unexpected problem creeps into my perfected ordered plans. I think of it, too, on gray Monday mornings when I want to write something inspiring.

These days I think, “Goodbye! I’ll miss you. I’m off to solve important problems.”

The reason the script works for me is the sense of detachment and irony that comes with word play in the sentences. I’m repositioned to think of a problem as just a problem and not a personal hardship.

When a problem is no longer my personal problem is much more interesting.

Do you find it more fun to solve other people’s problems?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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12 Comments to “Gray Monday Mornings and Other People’s Problems”

  1. September 15th, 2008 at 8:28 am
    Tom Volkar / Delightful Work said

    I like the way you’ve re-framed problems. Other ways I’ve heard are to just call problems, projects or possibilities. To answer your question it’s often more fulfilling for me to solve others problems because as a a career and life coach I simply question and suggest until they solve the problem. The client does the work so often it is more fun to observe those solutions.

  2. September 15th, 2008 at 8:40 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    By solving other peoples problems you kind off step away from the struggle and very frequently while coming up with a solutions for them, you resolve a problem for your self - by seeing a connection that would work for another problem too.
    So, yes, love to solve other peoples problems: it’s a great way to solve my own ;-)

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  3. September 15th, 2008 at 8:45 am
    BloggerNewbie said

    Problems? What problems? Challenges, yeah, but problems? I don’t know.

    Solving other people’s challenges adds extra rewards.

    Kind of like when I was a kid and did dishes at the neighbors house. It was expected at my house but appreciated at my neighbors house!

  4. September 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
    Teresa Morrow said

    Liz,

    I think when things are looking so great for myself or for others, one thing I try to focus on is the blessings (no matter how small) because then the focus goes from the negative to the positive.

    Sincerely,

    Teresa Morrow

  5. September 15th, 2008 at 9:46 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Tom!
    Yeah, I have a friend who says to my problems, “Oh go, be brilliant for yourself, like you would for anyone else.” That always gets me going. :)

  6. September 15th, 2008 at 10:06 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    Yeah, I find that when I work on my on problems, I have to be care not to argue for what is making it a problem — with other folks’ problems I see when that’s happening and quickly cut it off at the pass. :)

  7. September 15th, 2008 at 10:20 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Teresa,
    Yep. I’m with you on that. It’s been proven that optimists go further. :)

  8. September 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi BloggerNewbie!
    Appreciation. What a nice word. Maybe we ought to appreciate ourselves. :)

  9. September 15th, 2008 at 11:14 am
    Amy Derby said

    My father always used to say “It’s only a movie.” Granted, my father was insane, and he’s been dead several years, but during the really bad times of my life I still hear my father telling me it’s only a movie. And it makes me laugh.

    I do think it’s easier to solve other people’s problems. I’m more objective of other people, nicer to them than I am to myself, and a little bit more patient. More fun? I don’t know about that. I think it would depend on the person and the problem. Some people, I’m all over it. Other people, they tell me their problems and all I hear is the teacher from the Charlie Brown cartoon. This is why I’m not cut out to do your job and why I shall pass anyone from Charlie Brown Teacher Camp on to you. :-)

  10. September 15th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
    SpaceAgeSage said

    Finding objectivity, re-framing, seeing something anew or from a different angle — yes, I seem to see this better in others. I have one heap’a big issue that I can’t seem to see around very well at all right now, though. I would love to step into someone else’s shoes, look back at myself, and see the conflict from a different perspective.

  11. September 16th, 2008 at 10:28 am
    b5media - Does Experience Matter? said

    [...] Of course, learning from others’ experiences may be the best lesson of all. At Successful Blog, Liz questions whether its more fun to solve other people’s problems. [...]

  12. September 16th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
    The b5media Business Channel Bloggers Ask - Does Experience Matter? said

    [...] Of course, learning from others’ experiences may be the best lesson of all. At Successful Blog, Liz questions whether its more fun to solve other people’s problems. [...]

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